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Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
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P S A L M S
PSALM LXXII.
The foregoing psalm was penned by David when he was old, and, it should
seem, so was this too; for Solomon was now standing fair for the crown;
that was his prayer for himself, this for his son and successor, and
with these two the prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended, as we
find in the close of this psalm. If we have but God’s presence with us
while we live, and good hopes concerning those that shall come after us
that they shall be praising God on earth when we are praising him in
heaven, it is enough. This is entitled “a psalm for Solomon:” it is
probable that David dictated it, or, rather, that it was by the blessed
Spirit dictated to him, when, a little before he died, by divine
direction he settled the succession, and gave orders to proclaim
Solomon king,
&c. But, though Solomon’s name is here made use of, Christ’s kingdom is
here prophesied of under the type and figure of Solomon’s. David knew
what the divine oracle was, That “of the fruit of his loins, according
to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne,”
To him he here bears witness, and with the prospect of the glories of
his kingdom he comforted himself in his dying moments when he foresaw
that his house would not be so with God, not so great not so good, as
he wished. David, in spirit,
I. Begins with a short prayer for his successor,
II. He passes immediately into a long prediction of the glories of his
reign,
And,
III. He concludes with praise to the God of Israel,
In singing this psalm we must have an eye to Christ, praising him as a
King, and pleasing ourselves with our happiness as his subjects.
| Prayer for Solomon. | |
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A psalm for Solomon.
1 Give the king thy judgments, O
God, and thy righteousness unto the king’s son.
This verse is a prayer for the king, even the king’s son.
I. We may apply it to Solomon: Give him thy judgments, O God! and
thy righteousness; make him a man, a king; make him a good man, a
good king.
1. It is the prayer of a father for his child, a dying blessing, such
as the patriarchs bequeathed to their children. The best thing we can
ask of God for our children is that God will give them wisdom and grace
to know and do their duty; that is better than gold. Solomon learned
to pray for himself as his father had prayed for him, not that God
would give him riches and honour, but a wise and understanding heart.
It was a comfort to David that his own son was to be his successor, but
more so that he was likely to be both judicious and righteous. David
had given him a good education
(Prov. iv. 3),
had taught him good judgment and righteous, yet that would not
do unless God gave him his judgments. Parents cannot give grace to
their children, but may by prayer bring them to the God of grace, and
shall not seek him in vain, for their prayer shall either be answered
or it shall return with comfort into their own bosom.
2. It is the prayer of a king for his successor. David had executed
judgment and justice during his reign, and now he prays that his son
might do so too. Such a concern as this we should have for posterity,
desiring and endeavouring that those who come after us may do God more
and better service in their day than we have done in ours. Those have
little love either to God or man, and are of a very narrow selfish
spirit, who care not what becomes of the world and the church when they
are gone.
3. It is the prayer of subjects for their king. It should seem, David
penned this psalm for the use of the people, that they, in singing,
might pray for Solomon. Those who would live quiet and peaceable lives
must pray for kings and all in authority, that God would give them his
judgments and righteousness.
II. We may apply it to Christ; not that he who intercedes for us needs
us to intercede for him; but,
1. It is a prayer of the Old-Testament church for sending the Messiah,
as the church’s King, King on the holy hill of Zion, of whom the
King of kings had said, Thou art my Son,
Ps. ii. 6, 7.
“Hasten his coming to whom all judgment is committed;” and we must thus
hasten the second coming of Christ, when he shall judge the world in
righteousness.
2. It is an expression of the satisfaction which all true believers
take in the authority which the Lord Jesus has received from the
Father: “Let him have all power both in heaven and earth, and be the
Lord our righteousness; let him be the great trustee of divine grace
for all that are his; give it to him, that he may give it to us.”
| The Kingdom of Messiah. | |
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2 He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor
with judgment.
3 The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little
hills, by righteousness.
4 He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the
children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.
5 They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure,
throughout all generations.
6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers
that water the earth.
7 In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of
peace so long as the moon endureth.
8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the
river unto the ends of the earth.
9 They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and
his enemies shall lick the dust.
10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents:
the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.
11 Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall
serve him.
12 For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor
also, and him that hath no helper.
13 He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls
of the needy.
14 He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and
precious shall their blood be in his sight.
15 And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of
Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily
shall he be praised.
16 There shall be a handful of corn in the earth upon the top
of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and
they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.
17 His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued
as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all
nations shall call him blessed.
This is a prophecy of the prosperity and perpetuity of the kingdom of
Christ under the shadow of the reign of Solomon. It comes in,
1. As a plea to enforce the prayer: “Lord, give him thy judgments
and thy righteousness, and then he shall judge thy people with
righteousness, and so shall answer the end of his elevation,
v. 2.
Give him thy grace, and then thy people, committed to his charge, will
have the benefit of it.” Because God loved Israel, he made him king
over them to do judgment and justice,
2 Chron. ix. 8.
We may in faith wrestle with God for that grace which we have reason to
think will be of common advantage to his church.
2. As an answer of peace to the prayer. As by the prayer of faith we
return answers to God’s promises of mercy, so by the promises of mercy
God returns answers to our prayers of faith. That this prophecy must
refer to the kingdom of the Messiah is plain, because there are many
passages in it which cannot be applied to the reign of Solomon. There
was indeed a great deal of righteousness and peace, at first, in the
administration of his government; but, before the end of his reign,
there were both trouble and unrighteousness. The kingdom here spoken of
is to last as long as the sun, but Solomon’s was soon extinct.
Therefore even the Jewish expositors understand it of the kingdom of
the Messiah.
Let us observe the many great and precious promises here made, which
were to have their full accomplishment only in the kingdom of Christ;
and yet some of them were in part fulfilled in Solomon’s reign.
I. That it should be a righteous government
(v. 2):
He shall judge thy people with righteousness. Compare
All the laws of Christ’s kingdom are consonant to the eternal rules of
equity; the chancery it erects to relieve against the rigours of the
broken law is indeed a court of equity; and against the sentence of his
last judgment there will lie no exception. The peace of his kingdom
shall be supported by righteousness
(v. 3);
for then only is the peace like a river, when the righteousness is
as the waves of the sea. The world will be judged in righteousness,
II. That it should be a peaceable government: The mountains shall
bring peace, and the little hills
(v. 3);
that is (says Dr. Hammond), both the superior and the inferior courts
of judicature in Solomon’s kingdom. There shall be abundance of
peace,
v. 7.
Solomon’s name signifies peaceable, and such was his reign; for
in it Israel enjoyed the victories of the foregoing reign and preserved
the tranquillity and repose of that reign. But peace is, in a special
manner, the glory of Christ’s kingdom; for, as far as it prevails, it
reconciles men to God, to themselves, and to one another, and slays all
enmities; for he is our peace.
III. That the poor and needy should be, in a particular manner, taken
under the protection of this government: He shall judge thy
poor,
v. 2.
Those are God’s poor that are impoverished by keeping a good
conscience, and those shall be provided for with a distinguishing care,
shall be judged for with judgment, with a particular cognizance taken
of their case and a particular vengeance taken for their wrongs.
The poor of the people, and the children of the needy, he
will be sure so to judge as to save,
v. 4.
This is insisted upon again
(v. 12, 13),
intimating that Christ will be sure to carry his cause on behalf of his
injured poor. He will deliver the needy that lie at the mercy of
their oppressors, the poor also, both because they have no
helper and it is for his honour to help them and because they cry
unto him and he has promised, in answer to their prayers, to help them;
they by prayer commit themselves unto him,
Ps. x. 14.
He will spare the needy that throw themselves on his mercy, and
will not be rigorous and severe with them; he will save their
souls, and that is all they desire. Blessed are the poor in
spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Christ is the poor
man’s King.
IV. That proud oppressors shall be reckoned with: He shall break
them in pieces
(v. 4),
shall take away their power to hurt, and punish them for all the
mischief they have done. This is the office of a good king, Parcere
subjectis, et debellare superbos–To spare the vanquished and debase
the proud. The devil is the great oppressor, whom Christ will break
in pieces and of whose kingdom he will be the destruction. With the
breath of his mouth shall he slay that wicked one
(Isa. xi. 4),
and shall deliver the souls of his people from deceit and
violence,
v. 14.
He shall save from the power of Satan, both as an old serpent working
by deceit to ensnare them and as a roaring lion working by violence to
terrify and devour them. So precious shall their blood be unto
him that not a drop of it shall be shed, by the deceit or violence
of Satan or his instruments, without being reckoned for. Christ is a
King, who, though he calls his subjects sometimes to resist unto blood
for him, yet is not prodigal of their blood, nor will ever have it
parted with but upon a valuable consideration to his glory and theirs,
and the filling up of the measure of their enemies’ iniquity.
V. That religion shall flourish under Christ’s government
(v. 5):
They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure. Solomon
indeed built the temple, and the fear and worship of God were well kept
up, for some time, under his government, but it did not last long; this
therefore must point at Christ’s kingdom, all the subjects of which are
brought to and kept in the fear of God; for the Christian religion has
a direct tendency to, and a powerful influence upon, the support and
advancement of natural religion. Faith in Christ will set up, and keep
up, the fear of God; and therefore this is the everlasting gospel that
is preached, Fear God, and give honour to him,
Rev. xiv. 7.
And, as Christ’s government promotes devotion towards God, so it
promotes both justice and charity among men
(v. 7):
In his days shall the righteous flourish; righteousness shall be
practised, and those that practise righteousness shall be preferred.
Righteousness shall abound and be in reputation, shall command and be
in power. The law of Christ, written in the heart, disposes men to be
honest and just, and to render to all their due; it likewise disposes
men to live in love, and so it produces abundance of peace and beats
swords into ploughshares. Both holiness and love shall be perpetual in
Christ’s kingdom, and shall never go to decay, for the subjects of it
shall fear God as long as the sun and moon endure; Christianity,
in the profession of it, having got footing in the world, shall keep
its ground till the end of time, and having, in the power of it, got
footing in the heart, it will continue there till, by death, the sun,
and the moon, and the stars (that is, the bodily senses) are darkened.
Through all the changes of the world, and all the changes of life,
Christ’s kingdom will support itself; and, if the fear of God continue
as long as the sun and moon, abundance of peace will. The peace of the
church, the peace of the soul, shall run parallel with its purity and
piety, and last as long as these last.
VI. That Christ’s government shall be very comfortable to all his
faithful loving subjects
(v. 6):
He shall, by the graces and comforts of his Spirit, come down
like rain upon the mown grass; not on that which is cut down, but
that which is left growing, that it may spring again, though it was
beheaded. The gospel of Christ distils as the rain, which softens the
ground that was hard, moistens that which was dry, and so makes it
green and fruitful,
Let our hearts drink in the rain,
Heb. vi. 7.
VII. That Christ’s kingdom shall be extended very far, and greatly
enlarged; considering,
1. The extent of his territories
(v. 8):
He shall have dominion from sea to sea (from the South Sea to
the North, or from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean) and from the
river Euphrates, or Nile, to the ends of the earth.
Solomon’s dominion was very large
according to the promise,
But no sea, no river, is named, that it might, by these proverbial
expressions, intimate the universal monarchy of the Lord Jesus. His
gospel has been, or shall be, preached to all nations
and the kingdoms of the world shall become his kingdoms
when the fulness of the Gentiles shall be brought in. His territories
shall be extended to those countries,
(1.) That were strangers to him: Those that dwell in the
wilderness, out of all high roads, that seldom hear news, shall
hear the glad tidings of the Redeemer and redemption by him, shall
bow before him, shall believe in him, accept of him, worship him,
and take his yoke upon them. Before the Lord Jesus we must all either
bow or break; if we break, we are ruined–if we bow, we are certainly
made for ever.
(2.) That were enemies to him, and had fought against him: They
shall lick the dust; they shall be brought down and laid in the
dust, shall bite the ground for vexation, and be so hunger-bitten that
they shall be glad of dust, the serpent’s meat
(Gen. iii. 15),
for of his seed they are; and over whom shall not he rule, when his
enemies themselves are thus humbled and brought low?
2. The dignity of his tributaries. He shall not only reign over those
that dwell in the wilderness, the peasants and cottagers, but over
those that dwell in the palaces
(v. 10):
The kings of Tarshish, and of the isles, that lie most remote
from Israel and are the isles of the Gentiles
(Gen. x. 5),
shall bring presents to him as their sovereign Lord, by and
under whom they hold their crowns and all their crown lands. They shall
court his favour, and make an interest in him, that they may hear his
wisdom. This was literally fulfilled in Solomon (for all the kings
of the earth sought the wisdom of Solomon, and brought every man his
present,
2 Chron. ix. 23, 24),
and in Christ too, when the wise men of the east, who probably were men
of the first rank in their own country, came to worship him and
brought him presents,
Matt. ii. 11.
They shall present themselves to him; that is the best present we can
bring to Christ, and without that no other present is acceptable,
They shall offer gifts, spiritual sacrifices of prayer and
praise, offer them to Christ as their God, on Christ as their altar,
which sanctifies every gift. Their conversion to God is called the
offering up, or sacrificing, of the Gentiles,
Rom. xv. 16.
Yea, all kings shall, sooner or later, fall down before him,
either to do their duty to him or to receive their doom from him,
They shall fall before him, either as his willing subjects or as his
conquered captives, as suppliants for his mercy or expectants of his
judgment. And, when the kings submit, the people come in of course:
All nations shall serve him; all shall be invited into his
service; some of all nations shall come into it, and in every nation
incense shall be offered to him and a pure offering,
Mal. i. 11; Rev. vii. 9.
VIII. That he shall be honoured and beloved by all his subjects
(v. 15):
He shall live; his subjects shall desire his life (O king!
live for ever) and with good reason; for he has said, Because I
live, you shall live also; and of him it is witnessed that he liveth,
ever liveth, making intercession,
Heb. vii. 8, 25.
He shall live, and live prosperously; and,
1. Presents shall be made to him. Though he shall be able to live
without them, for he needs neither the gifts nor the services of any,
yet to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba–gold, the best
of metals, gold of Sheba, which probably was the finest gold; for he
that is best must be served with the best. Those that have abundance
of the wealth of this world, that have gold at command, must give it to
Christ, must serve him with it, do good with it. Honour the Lord
with thy substance.
2. Prayers shall be made for him, and that continually. The people
prayed for Solomon, and that helped to make him and his reign so great
a blessing to them. It is the duty of subjects to make prayers,
intercessions, and giving of thanks, for kings and all in authority,
not in compliment to them, as is too often done, but in concern for the
public welfare. But how is this applied to Christ? He needs not our
prayers, nor can have any benefit by them. But the Old-Testament saints
prayed for his coming, prayed continually for it; for they called him,
He that should come. And now that he has come we must pray for
the success of his gospel and the advancement of his kingdom, which he
calls praying for him (Hosanna to the Son of David, prosperity to his
reign), and we must pray for his second coming. It may be read,
Prayer shall be made through him, or for his sake; whatsoever we
ask of the Father shall be in his name and in dependence upon his
intercession.
3. Praises shall be made of him, and high encomiums given of his
wisdom, justice, and goodness: Daily shall he be praised. By
praying daily in his name we give him honour. Subjects ought to speak
well of the government that is a blessing to them; and much more ought
all Christians to praise Jesus Christ, daily to praise him; for they
owe their all to him, and to him they lie under the highest
obligations.
IX. That under his government there shall be a wonderful increase both
of meat and mouths, both of the fruits of the earth in the country and
of the people inhabiting the cities,
1. The country shall grow rich. Sow but a handful of corn on the top
of the mountains, whence one would expect but little, and yet
the fruit of it shall shake like Lebanon; it shall come up like
a wood, so thick, and tall, and strong, like the cedars of Lebanon.
Even upon the tops of the mountains the earth shall bring forth by
handfuls; that is an expression of great plenty
(Gen. xli. 47),
as the grass upon the house top is said to be that wherewith the mower
fills not his hand. This is applicable to the wonderful productions of
the seed of the gospel in the days of the Messiah. A handful of that
seed, sown in the mountainous and barren soil of the Gentile world,
produced a wonderful harvest gathered in to Christ, fruit that shook
like Lebanon. The fields were white to the harvest,
John iv. 35; Matt. ix. 37.
The grain of mustard-seed grew up to a great tree.
2. The towns shall grow populous: Those of the city shall flourish
like grass, for number, for verdure. The gospel church, the city of
God among men, shall have all the marks of prosperity, many shall be
added to it, and those that are shall be happy in it.
X. That his government shall be perpetual, both to his honour and to
the happiness of his subjects. The Lord Jesus shall reign for ever, and
of him only this must be understood, and not at all of Solomon. It is
Christ only that shall be feared throughout all generations
(v. 5)
and as long as the sun and moon endure,
v. 7.
1. The honour of the princes is immortal and shall never be sullied
(v. 17):
His name shall endure for ever, in spite of all the malicious
attempts and endeavours of the powers of darkness to eclipse the lustre
of it and to cut off the line of it; it shall be preserved; it shall be
perpetuated; it shall be propagated. As the names of earthly princes
are continued in their posterity, so Christ’s in himself.
Filiabitur nomen ejus–His name shall descend to posterity. All
nations, while the world stands, shall call him blessed, shall bless
God for him, continually speak well of him, and think themselves happy
in him. To the end of time, and to eternity, his name shall be
celebrated, shall be made use of; every tongue shall confess it and
every knee shall bow before it.
2. The happiness of the people if universal too; it is complete and
everlasting: Men shall be blessed, truly and for ever blessed,
in him. This plainly refers to the promise made unto the fathers
that in the Messiah all the nations of the earth should be blessed.
| Thanksgiving and Prayer. | |
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18 Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth
wondrous things.
19 And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the
whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.
20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.
Such an illustrious prophecy as is in the foregoing verses of the
Messiah and his kingdom may fitly be concluded, as it is here, with
hearty prayers and praises.
I. The psalmist is here enlarged in thanksgivings for the prophecy and
promise,
So sure is every word of God, and with so much satisfaction may we rely
upon it, that we have reason enough to give thanks for what he has
said, though it be not yet done. We must own that for all the great
things he has done for the world, for the church, for the children of
men, for his own children, in the kingdom of providence, in the kingdom
of grace, for all the power and trust lodged in the hands of the
Redeemer, God is worthy to be praised; we must stir up ourselves and
all that is within us to praise him after the best manner, and desire
that all others may do it. Blessed be the Lord, that is,
blessed be his glorious name; for it is only in his name that we
can contribute any thing to his glory and blessedness, and yet that is
also exalted above all blessing and praise. Let it be blessed
for ever, it shall be blessed for ever, it deserves to be blessed for
ever, and we hope to be forever blessing it. We are here taught to
bless the name of Christ, and to bless God in Christ, for all that
which he has done for us by him. We must bless him,
1. As the Lord God, as a self-existent self-sufficient Being, and our
sovereign Lord.
2. As the God of Israel, in covenant with that people and worshipped by
them, and who does this in performance of the truth unto Jacob and the
mercy to Abraham,
3. As the God who only does wondrous things, in creation and
providence, and especially this work of redemption, which excels them
all. Men’s works are little, common, trifling things, and even these
they could not do without him. But God does all by his own power, and
they are wondrous things which he does, and such as will be the eternal
admiration of saints and angels.
II. He is earnest in prayer for the accomplishment of this prophecy and
promise: Let the whole earth be filled with his glory, as it
will be when the kings of Tarshish, and the isles, shall bring
presents to him. It is sad to think how empty the earth is of the
glory of God, how little service and honour he has from a world to
which he is such a bountiful benefactor. All those, therefore, that
wish well to the honour of God and the welfare of mankind, cannot but
desire that the earth may be filled with the discoveries of his glory,
suitably returned in thankful acknowledgments of his glory. Let every
heart, and every mouth, and every assembly, be filled with the high
praises of God. We shall see how earnest David is in this prayer, and
how much his heart is in it, if we observe,
1. How he shuts up the prayer with a double seal: “Amen and
amen; again and again I say, I say it and let all others say the
same, so be it. Amen to my prayer; Amen to the prayers of all the
saints to this purport–Hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come.”
2. How he ever shuts up his life with this prayer,
This was the last psalm that ever he penned, though not placed last in
this collection; he penned it when he lay on his death-bed, and with
this he breathes his last: “Let God be glorified, let the kingdom of
the Messiah be set up, and kept up, in the world, and I have enough, I
desire no more. With this let the prayers of David the son of
Jesse be ended. Even so, come, Lord Jesus, come
quickly.”
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